Tending the Temple Daily

  I wasted some good sleep this weekend fretting over an incident that happened right before the week's end. That was not the first time I have had this same experience with this same person. As a matter of fact it is something I should be expecting, since it has happened multiple times before. Yet, I had my guard down, and wham! Knowing I had to go back to that place, and encounter that person again, I was on edge. I really hate those encounters. So I reminded myself of my favorite Jim Staley quote: the trials you hate are the proving grounds for your spiritual promotion.  I prayed up, I rested on Sabbath, and fed my spirit good things from The Word of Yah. I got up Monday morning and began getting ready for the day, my thoughts went to the spiritual armor. (Ephesians 6:10-18) My belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness,  the gospel of peace on my feet, the shield of faith, and the helmet of Salvation, with the sword of the Spirit. As I stepped out my door, I thought ...

  I was just listening to Outside The Camp's latest video. (I will for sure put the link at the end by my name.) Anyhow, Andrew is street preaching in this video. He has a table with a sign, along with his video equipment.  The sign reads: Christians should not eat swine. He is set up in a high foot traffic area, enticing folks to engage in the conversation.  And several people did engage.  What I noticed right away was that if he spoke with 10 people who claimed to be Christians,  each of the 10 had a different doctrine they followed. Each had a different understanding of the very same Scriptures that were being discussed. How can that be?  Why are the words in the Bible up for personal interpretation? We do not approach writings by other authors in that manner. We don't have multiple interpretations of Hemmingway, Steinbeck,  Dickens, or Tolstoy.  We do our best to understand what that author is communicating to us. Words matter, they have finit...

  One cannot turn on any news website or social media without seeing the warning that war is imminent.  Mostly, as Americans, we can put these threats of war out of our minds, and continue our day. Why? Well, war has not been at our front door since the American Civil War. War is continuously happening,  just somewhere else on the earth.  Unless you've served in the military,  it's likely, as an American, you don't give much thought to the devastation of war. How many innocent people die or are maimed? How many people are moved from their homes and families? How many people's lives are upended because someone with power wants war? Our mainstream media will not report accurately on war, it feels more like propaganda. Independent journalists who do show us the reality are quickly silenced. We are only shown what those people in power want us to see. Keeping us ignorant is a powerful tool.  Who exactly are these powerful people who want war? We can name the wo...

You will do what you believe.  Your actions are a testimony to what you believe.  James 2:26  tells us that "faith without works is dead". Why? Because you will do what you believe. It is evident to everyone around you what you believe because they can see your behaviors. Hebrews 11:1  Faith is the evidence of your convictions because you are doing what you believe!  Faith/belief isn't invisible. These aren't just notions you have in your heart.  If people can't see what you believe, then do you really believe it? I keep the 7th Day Sabbath, no buying or selling, keeping that day set apart to Yah, meditating upon His word, fellowship with family and like minded believers when possible.  I do this because I believe everything Yah said about the Sabbath. It is Holy and set apart forever  Leviticus 23:3, Exodus 20:8-11, Genesis 2:3 . It is a sign that I belong to Him Ezekiel 20:12, Exodus 31:13-17. I take Yah at His word, I believe Him.  I did n...

  I tend to over think and worry about things of which I have no control. I can really let my imagination run wild, and that's no good.  Yesterday was one of those days.  There's a big change coming to my life that I cannot control, I have no real idea what it's going to look like, and it most likely has aspects that I won't like.  Yesterday I let that negative voice in my head take charge and stir up my emotions.   This voice suggests that I won't survive the change, I'm going to be kicked aside, because, of course, I don't bring anything of value to the table. I won't be able to keep up and I will be exposed as extra weight that needs to be replaced.  Honestly,  it was a battle all day to turn from that voice and remember what Yah says about me. It was exhausting.  You'd think, at my age, and how many times I've encountered that voice, that I'd be better at it,  but I wasn't yesterday.   I know from experience that I can and ...

  I follow  a diverse  collection of friends  and pages on Facebook.  But my feed is overwhelmingly Torah pursuant, with a sprinkling of Protestants,  Catholics, other Christians. And I know there's a few who are unsure about "God" and religion altogether.  What strikes me most about those who speak boldly for Jesus, proclaim God the loudest, is that they are frequently displaying the least of the qualities of love.  Love is patient,  love is kind, not jealous,  not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish. Love is not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not relish in other's sins, but delights in the truth. Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.  With such casual dismissal, some believers call others ignorant, apostate, lost, heretic, not really saved, and worse.  This is social media, how does one judge the heart of others and voice such condemnation of fellow believers on the worl...